News 2008 Sunfish Junior International Championship

[Gail]

The 1st Sunfish Junior International Championship is being hosted by the Lake Bluff Yacht Club, Lake Bluff, IL, on Lake Michigan. Twelve competitors are participating and they represent seven countries. Friday was a mostly cloudy day with temperatures in the lower 70's.

Race 1 racers were all clear at the start at 11:45 a.m. Wind was North at 7 with leftover rolling waves from Tropical Rainstorm Gustav (big wind and record rain Friday night). Halfway through the first beat the breeze started to die. The first boat finished at 12:38, shortened to the 2nd beat mark. Race was W-L-W-L, but shortened.

On the water lunch break.

Race 2 racers were all clear at the start at 1:15 p.m. The wind came back up and was NE 6-8 for the start with the waves lower but still notable. Again, shortly after the start the breeze began to die. The racers were closer together in the second race until the second half of the first run when the wind became very, very light. The first boat finished at 2:29, with another shortening to the 2nd beat mark, and again was W-L-W-L, but ended up being only a W-L-W. There is a half-hour after the first boat finishes time limit, and four boats did not beat that time limit. There were no major shifts, just the breeze became lighter and lighter.

At this point racing was concluded for the day.

2008 Sunfish Junior International Championship
Lake Bluff Yacht Club
Lake Bluff, Illinois
September 5-7, 2008
Sail # Skipper Hometown Country Race 1 Race 2 Total
1 14 Julian Ramirez Bogota Colombia 2 2 4
2 GUA Stephan Breeuwer Guatemala City Guatemala 4 1 5
3 8 Andrea Verdeja Santo Domingo Dominican Republic 1 5 6
4 79620 Angelo Teran Manta Ecuador 6 4 10
5 27 Enrique Arathoon Guatemala City Guatemala 3 8 11
6 79039 Bobby Boger Southold, NY United States 5 6 11
7 1 Manny Schneck Highland Park, IL United States 11 3 14
8 75236 Diego Cabreros Lima Peru 9 7 16
9 13 Andrea Poton Cartagena Colombia 7 DNF (13) 20
10 78705 Jose Gutierrez Caracas Venezuela 8 DNF (13) 21
11 3719 Jack McCarthy West Windsor, NJ United States 10 DNF (13) 23
12 80361 Emily Nolan Lafayette, LA United States 12 DNF (13) 25

 

[Gail]

2008 Sunfish Junior International Championship-Photos

I've uploaded my photos from Friday to the following photo printing service web page. You can create an account however you choose (no money required, no credit card required, I've used them for years and they are honest).

You're free to look, order prints, do whatever you'd like! If you use the photos in a publication, I'd appreciate credit for them (photo credit: Gail M. Turluck). Thanks!

Here's the link (if it appears over two lines on your computer screen and isn't an active link, copy and paste the first line, go back and copy and paste the second line, and then activate the URL to connect to the web page properly):

http://www.clarkcolor.com/share/p=4.../g=4431269/cobrandOid=1003/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

I'll try to do the same tomorrow night. The last day's photos will take a little more time.

Gail

 

[Gail]

2008 Sunfish Junior International Championship--Day 2

The second day of the 2008 Sunfish Junior International Championship featured a variety of conditions. Five races were conducted and the fleet tightened up. The lead changed hands, too.

Race 3 started right on time, at 11:05 Saturday morning. The wind was WNW 8-11, under clear skies. The course was modified WL2. Near the end of the first leg the breeze got light. A long run and beat back, was followed by a run where the breeze came back. The boats from behind compressed onto the boats ahead and the fleet changed positions on the final beat. Andrea Verdeja came from behind to claim the win. Enrique Arathoon, who changed his sail for the second day, lost three boats on a close tacking situation followed by a capsize, as he approached the finish, ending up 5th for the race. Bobby Boger benefited and was second. The race finished at 12:05 p.m.

Race 4, a modified WL2, started at 12:24, in winds WNW 6-8 under mostly cloudy skies. The wind remained relatively steady through this race, and the sailors were the tightest together so far of all the races. Andrea Verdeja scored another bullet, this time followed by Julian Ramirez, and coming on strong was Junior North American Champion Bobby Boger. There was a break for lunch.

Race 5 was the first to have the sailors show some aggression on the starting line, with a general recall as the boats over the line could not be identified. A starting line adjustment was made and the race was launched at 1:40 p.m., in winds WNW 10-12. The higher breeze showed different skill sets among the sailors. Again, the course was modified WL2. There were some holes and some puffs as the fleet worked to read the puffs and the shifts, which became more pronounced. Jose Gutierrez claimed the race, followed closely by Angelo Teran and Julian Ramirez.

The sixth race, important to the sailors because it meant they gained a throwout race, was started at 2:35 p.m. It was still mostly cloudy, winds WNW 11-14, and had its first individual recall, Andrea Verdeja. It didn't cost her much, though, as she cleared the line, gybed to port, and rounded the first mark as the leader! This race was a modified Gold Cup, to let the fleet enjoy some reaches in the higher winds. There were puffs to 16 and the sailors really enjoyed the bigger breeze. By the finish, Bobby Boger had worked hard to claim the first, with Jose Gutierrez second and Julian Ramirez in third.

The last race of the day, race seven, started at 3:14 p.m. in WNW winds, 10-12. The breeze began to fade and by the finish was 7-8. The course was modified Olympic. There were a couple lead changes on the long windward leg. There was a big shift to the left, Jose Gutierrez went left and crossed everyone as a result and no one passed him. Second went to Diego Cabreros, with Julian Ramirez third. Andrea Verdeja suffered a sixth, making this her throwout, and she dropped down to second overall.

Going into the last day of the regatta, Julian Ramirez is ahead by two points, followed by Andrea Verdeja, and Stephan Breeuwer third, just two more points further back. Tomorrow's forecast is for West 10-15, slight chance of showers early, and there are hopes to sail three races.

The competitors have been competitive, yet fair. They have enjoyed great hospitality and have been great guests!

 

[Gail]

2008 Sunfish Junior International Championship--Day 2

The second day of the 2008 Sunfish Junior International Championship featured a variety of conditions. Five races were conducted and the fleet tightened up. The lead changed hands, too.

Race 3 started right on time, at 11:05 Saturday morning. The wind was WNW 8-11, under clear skies. The course was modified WL2. Near the end of the first leg the breeze got light. A long run and beat back, was followed by a run where the breeze came back. The boats from behind compressed onto the boats ahead and the fleet changed positions on the final beat. Andrea Verdeja came from behind to claim the win. Enrique Arathoon, who changed his sail for the second day, lost three boats on a close tacking situation followed by a capsize, as he approached the finish, ending up 5th for the race. Bobby Boger benefited and was second. The race finished at 12:05 p.m.

Race 4, a modified WL2, started at 12:24, in winds WNW 6-8 under mostly cloudy skies. The wind remained relatively steady through this race, and the sailors were the tightest together so far of all the races. Andrea Verdeja scored another bullet, this time followed by Julian Ramirez, and coming on strong was Junior North American Champion Bobby Boger. There was a break for lunch.

Race 5 was the first to have the sailors show some aggression on the starting line, with a general recall as the boats over the line could not be identified. A starting line adjustment was made and the race was launched at 1:40 p.m., in winds WNW 10-12. The higher breeze showed different skill sets among the sailors. Again, the course was modified WL2. There were some holes and some puffs as the fleet worked to read the puffs and the shifts, which became more pronounced. Jose Gutierrez claimed the race, followed closely by Angelo Teran and Julian Ramirez.

The sixth race, important to the sailors because it meant they gained a throwout race, was started at 2:35 p.m. It was still mostly cloudy, winds WNW 11-14, and had its first individual recall, Andrea Verdeja. It didn't cost her much, though, as she cleared the line, gybed to port, and rounded the first mark as the leader! This race was a modified Gold Cup, to let the fleet enjoy some reaches in the higher winds. There were puffs to 16 and the sailors really enjoyed the bigger breeze. By the finish, Bobby Boger had worked hard to claim the first, with Jose Gutierrez second and Julian Ramirez in third.

The last race of the day, race seven, started at 3:14 p.m. in WNW winds, 10-12. The breeze began to fade and by the finish was 7-8. The course was modified Olympic. There were a couple lead changes on the long windward leg. There was a big shift to the left, Jose Gutierrez went left and crossed everyone as a result and no one passed him. Second went to Diego Cabreros, with Julian Ramirez third. Andrea Verdeja suffered a sixth, making this her throwout, and she dropped down to second overall.

Going into the last day of the regatta, Julian Ramirez is ahead by two points, followed by Andrea Verdeja, and Stephan Breeuwer third, just two more points further back. Tomorrow's forecast is for West 10-15, slight chance of showers early, and there are hopes to sail three races.

The competitors have been competitive, yet fair. They have enjoyed great hospitality and have been great guests!

For the current standings, please see the attachment.

 

[Gail]

2008 Sunfish Junior International Championship--FINAL RESULTS

The final day of racing featured a picture perfect sailing day for the first-ever Sunfish Junior International Championship hosted by Lake Bluff Yacht Club in Lake Bluff, Illinois. It was a mostly sunny day, winds WSW 8-16, with occasional puffs and shifts, and highs near 70. Seven countries were represented. The strength of the fleet was reflected in the fact that eight of the 12 competitors scored at least one race win.

Saturday's leader, Colombia's Julian Ramirez, continued his steady, consistent performance, capping his series in Race 9 with his only bullet, and sailed away with the Championship. Coming on strong in the second half of the regatta was the United States' Bobby Boger, current Junior North American Champion. He opened Sunday with a bullet to close Julian's lead to just four points. However, the puffy, shifty conditions caught him a couple times on the wrong side of a shift in the 9th race, opening a scoring gap he couldn't overcome. Boger moved ahead of Dominican Republic's Andrea Verdeja, who was leader after the first day, and Stephan Breeuwer of Guatemala, who were second and third, respectively, after Saturday. Breeuwer was a little more consistent to claim third overall for the regatta. Verdeja struggled in the slightly higher breezes, sailing and matching her throwout to drop to fourth but still claim the Top Opposite Sex award. The Top Midget (under 14) was Emily Nolan of the United States. The Sportsmanship Award was voted by the competitors and went to Diego Cabreros of Peru.

Loaned boats, great club support, shared equipment from North Shore Yacht Club (Highland Park, IL), sponsorship by LaserPerformance and Wind Line Sails, willing volunteers, and the commitment of ISCA Junior Coordinator Rich Chapman, International Sunfish Class Association President Andres Santana, and immediate past US Sunfish Class President Clinton Edwards were all keys to this championship being established. It is anticipated that in 2009 there will be at least eight countries represented which will take the regatta to World Championship status. National Sailing Federations and coaches desiring information on how to have junior sailors participate in next year's championship should contact Rich Chapman or Andres Santana (contact info at www.sunfishclass.org). The 2009 Championship is scheduled to be held in October 2009 in Nassau, Bahamas.